GILAS TAKES ON SENEGAL
SEVILLE, Spain – The quest hangs by a thread for Gilas Pilipinas.
Only if Puerto Rico is beaten Wednesday and Senegal loses its last two games would this final first round match have any bearing on the immediate future for the wide-eyed Philippine team in the FIBA Basketball World Cup here.
Otherwise, the road back to the global stage after 36 years could reach an abrupt end, with only the memories of the their dramatic down-the-wire losses to world powers Croatia and Argentina to comfort them on the long journey home.
Senegal (2-1) faces the Philippines (0-3) Thursday at 1:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. Manila time) at the Palacio Municipal de Deportes San Pablo., Croatia (2-1) takes on Puerto Rico (0-3) at 5:30 p.m. and Argentina (2-1) battles Greece (3-0) at 8 p.m.
As vital as the fifth preliminary round game is for Gilas Pilipinas, it is the fourth match Wednesday against Renaldo Balkman and Puerto Rico that is more crucial. The Latin American country has to be hurdled and Senegal, which faced Argentina, hopefully doesn’t have as much luck as when they stunned Croatia earlier.
If those two events coincide, then Philippines-Senegal would be another fight to the death, a swan song for the retiring Jimmy Alapag and redemption for a group of Filipino businessmen supposedly heckled by federation officials from Senegal a few days ago.
In what seemed like an advanced effort at psychological warfare, executives from the Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) group, here to support Gilas Pilipinas, reportedly were told by Senegalese basketball officials, identified by their team jackets and IDs, to “Go home!” as the Filipino businessmen were on their way to their hotel from the venue.
Unfazed, one of the Filipino businessmen, who included telecommunications tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan himself, was supposed to have fired back “Only after we beat you!”
PLDT president and CEO Napoleon Nazareno confirmed outside the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See Tuesday afternoon that they indeed had a run-in with several Senegalese officials although he didn’t say who delivered the parting shot.
A source said it was Meralco president Oscar Reyes.
The incident never escalated beyond the brief exchange of words but provided the atmosphere leading up to the two countries’ forthcoming showdown.
“We’re going all out in our next two games,” said national coach Chot Reyes after the Argentina game which Gilas lost, 85-81, putting to naught Jimmy Alapag’s scorching second half shooting.
Reyes had earlier considered giving Andray Blatche, who appeared to have twisted his tendonitis-hampered right knee during the game with Greece, some rest prior to the Puerto Rico game.
But after clawing back from 15 points against the Argentines Monday, with Blatche bucking two early fouls and Alapag catching fire near the end of the third quarter, the Nationals threw caution to the wind.
Now even that tiny window of opportunity for a breather has closed as the Nationals fight to salvage whatever it can.
Senegal is powered by several 6-foot-11 players, including Minnesota Timberwolves center Gorgui Dieng, an NBA teammate of Puerto Rico’s JJ Barea. Dieng had 27 points and 8 rebounds in Senegal’s 77-75 upset of Croatia.
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